National Geographic photographer Jasper Doest documented the latest mountain gorilla census in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, capturing both the animals and the conservation teams tracking their populations.
The census represents a critical data-gathering effort for one of Africa's most endangered primate populations. Mountain gorillas in Bwindi face ongoing threats from habitat loss, disease, and human encroachment, making accurate population counts essential for conservation strategy.
Doest, a WWF ambassador, embedded with field teams conducting the painstaking work of locating and documenting individual gorillas across the park's dense forest terrain. Census activities involve tracking family groups, identifying silverback males, and monitoring newborns and juveniles. These counts provide researchers with demographic data needed to assess population trends and adjust management practices.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park protects roughly half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas, with current estimates placing the population at around 400 individuals. The 2012 census documented 880 gorillas across the Virunga Mountains region shared by Uganda, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo, representing a recovery from earlier decades when poaching and habitat destruction pushed numbers far lower.
Census teams navigate one of the most challenging ecosystems on Earth. Bwindi's topography combines steep valleys, dense vegetation, and high altitude conditions that make field work physically demanding. Researchers must identify individual gorillas through photographic records, behavioral patterns, and genetic sampling when possible.
The visual documentation by Doest highlights both the gorillas themselves and the rangers, guides, and scientists whose daily work underpins conservation success. Local communities play central roles in protecting these populations, balancing livelihood needs with park preservation.
Recent censuses have tracked demographic shifts within gorilla families, including successful births and generational changes in leadership among family groups. Such data informs decisions about tourism management